System and method of a dynamic interface for capturing vehicle data

ABSTRACT

A mobile device application is provided with a dynamic interface for capturing vehicle data. Using a captured VIN number, decoded particulars of the vehicle can be retrieved, together with other particulars from third party databases. Fields of a data capture form are pre-populated with this retrieved data as well as user input in text and multimedia formats. The unfilled fields are presented to the user through an interface in a staged format, showing only relevant unfilled fields. This is reconfigured dynamically (to show more or less fields) as the data is entered/retrieved. The application may use distinct text entry and multimedia entry modes, which may be guided (e.g. with visual cues for photo/video capture). A related method is also provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. utility application no.14/813,870 (filed on Jul. 30, 2015 and published as U.S. PublishedApplication No. 2016/0034590), which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/030,691 filed Jul. 30, 2014, thecontents of both of which are hereby incorporated in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to assisted methods for capturing vehicle data.

BACKGROUND

Historically barter, haggling, sale by a set-price and auctions havebeen some of the traditional ways to negotiate the exchange of goods andcommodities. An issue with vehicle resale is that there are nostandardized ways to capture vehicle data. Similarly when a user wantsan accurate appraisal of the vehicle if information about the vehicle ismissing or misrepresented, an accurate appraisal has not been possible.

An appraisal is an estimate of an item's worth, usually performed by anexpert and may be used as a mechanism to define the asking price for anitem. Many factors influence the assessment of a vehicle and it issubjective.

Online auctions for vehicles are common where a wide variety ofoff-lease, commercial and dealer vehicles may be sold to other dealersand the public. Some dealers may auction one or more vehicles to otherdealers who in turn sell these to the public via their showrooms.

An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services byoffering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to thehighest bidder. Bidding is the act of participating in an auction byoffering to purchase an item for sale. Prices are bid by buyers andasked (or offered) by sellers. Auctions are publicly and privately seenin several contexts and almost anything can be sold at an auction.E-Bidding or Electronic Bidding—is a type of auction, whereby a personmay make a bid without being physically present at an auction or wherethe entire auction is taking place on the Internet.

Auctions are prone to collusion and manipulation if the bidders are notfully aware of the value of the item being auctioned. The vehicle may beremote, where only digital representation e.g. photos and videos of itbeing available. Thus it is easy to hide any blemishes or other kind ofdamage. For example if a vehicle has been wrecked and repaired, it haslost a certain value, but if the bidders are not aware of the history ofthe vehicle they may end up overpaying for it.

When consumers want to sell their vehicles online they typically have tocreate their own ads. Since each consumer may possibly take a differentnumber of photos and photos may be taken from different angles each adbecomes different. Additionally consumers can often forget, or choose topurposely ignore the areas that they want to hide e.g. accident damage.For the buyer then it is difficult to compare similar vehicles as eachad may have different or incomplete or misleading information in it.Similarly when a user wants an accurate appraisal of their vehicle it isimportant that all relevant data about the vehicle be captured so thatappraisers are provided a full disclosure and can provide an accurateappraisal.

It would be desirable to have a system that enables such data to becaptured in a reliable, complete and standardized way.

SUMMARY

Broadly speaking, the present invention relates to a system and methodof a dynamic interface for capturing vehicle data. The vehicle datacapture requirements are based on the information that is derived fromthe decoding of the VIN and also information gathered from third partiesand the user input. Such vehicle data capture may preferably be used invehicle resale, auctions and appraisals. The system may run on a serverthat is accessible to users preferably via connected mobile devices.

The automated method and system assists a user in gathering accurate andrepresentative data about a vehicle. Such information includes but isnot limited to photos, videos, audio, text information and the likebased on the information that is deciphered when a vehicle VIN isdecoded, the vehicle mileage and any damage that it may have sustaineddue to accidents. Thus based on the VIN and the make, model, year andother information the user is systematically guided to gather photos,videos, audio, text information about the vehicle. In one embodiment thenumber of photos or videos for example may vary based on e.g. the make,model, year, type of vehicle and its mileage.

In one embodiment the VIN of a vehicle may be used to acquire furtherdetailed information about the vehicle from different third parties.Such information may include but is not limited to vehicle history,ownership and registration, service history, installed options etc.

In one embodiment there may be an application either generic or purposebuilt, using which a user may interact with the functionality providedby the system. The application may be specific for a particular mobiledevice e.g. an iPhone or a Google Android phone, or a tablet computeretc. or generic e.g. Flash or HTML5 based app that can be used in abrowser.

In one embodiment users may use connected devices e.g. a Smartphone, atablet, or a personal computer to connect with the system e.g. using abrowser on a personal computer to access the website or via an app on amobile device. In one embodiment the app may be downloaded from anAppStore. Devices where invention can be advantageously used may includebut not limited to an iPhone, iPad. Smartphones. Android phones,personal computers e.g. laptops, tablet computers, touch-screencomputers running any number of different operating systems e.g. MSWindows, Apple iOS, Linux, Ubuntu, etc.

In a preferred embodiment, a graphical user interface is provided usingwhich a user may be guided/cued for taking photos, videos, audio andtext information etc. based on the vehicle VIN number, make, model,year, mileage, vehicle type etc.

In one embodiment the information that is contained in the VIN isdecoded. The VIN may be decoded using third party services. Thisinformation may be used to get further information about the vehiclefrom third parties. Some information about a vehicle may not beavailable from the VIN, e.g. color, engine size, installed options maynot be available. Such information may be obtained from third parties byquerying their databases by supplying the VIN and getting thisinformation.

In the preferred embodiment the user launches app. Preferably the usersmay connect to the system using a connected device e.g. a Smartphone, atablet, or a personal computer where the app executes. In one embodimentthe app may be downloaded from an AppStore.

In one embodiment the user scans the VIN of the vehicle using theconnected device. In one embodiment the VIN may be acquired byperforming a VIN scan using a mechanised method to automatically machineread the VIN from the vehicle. In one embodiment a VIN may be opticallyread with barcode scanners or digital cameras, or digitally read viaOBD-II (On Board Diagnostics) available in some vehicles. In oneembodiment there may be a Smartphone based app that can capture the VINfrom a vehicle and transmit it to the server for processing (decodingand gathering information from third parties). In another embodiment theVIN may be inputted into the app by the user by physically reading itfrom the vehicle; the user input may be text or voice.

Preferably, the app interface and data capture requirements are adaptedbased on information extracted from VIN and information gathered fromthird parties using VIN. In one embodiment the app interface and datacapture requirements change to match the information gathered from theVIN. For example if the VIN reveals that the vehicle is a 4-door sedanthen the user is asked to take 4 photos and 1 video but if the VINreveals that the vehicle is a 2-door convertible then the user is askedto take photos 8 photos and 3 videos.

The user may be cued or guided through the interface for taking photosand videos of the vehicle. Preferably, as more data is captured the appinterface and data capture requirements are continuously adapted toadjust to this information and provide the user with the cues that arein accordance to this information. Thus if a user states the vehicle has2 sets of tires e.g. one set is all season tires while the other set iswinter tires, the app may instruct the user to take photos of each setof tires.

According to a first aspect of the invention, a mobile device isprovided having a programmed application. The capturing, by means of acamera on the device. A vehicle identification number related to avehicle is captured by means of a camera on the device. From this,decoded particulars of the vehicle are retrieved from a query of thevehicle identification number in at least one database. Other vehicleparticulars are also received from a query of the captured vehicleidentification number in other third party databases. A form is providedhaving a set of fields for entry of vehicle data. At least certainfields are pre-populated from the decoded particulars and the otherparticulars. A graphical user interface is generated on a display of thedevice that presents the form to a user in a staged format. User inputis received on the device for at least certain fields not alreadypre-populated. The fields include both text and multimedia fields. Asfields are pre-populated or input, the staged format of the unfilledfields is reconfigured. This includes determining whether certainunfilled fields are relevant to the vehicle based on the fieldspre-populated or input so far. Only relevant unfilled fields arepresented to the user for completion.

According to a second aspect of the invention, a method is provided. Avehicle identification number related to a vehicle is captured at acomputer. Decoded particulars of the vehicle are retrieved from a queryof the vehicle identification number in at least one database. Othervehicle particulars of the vehicle may also be captured from othersources. A form is provided having a set of fields for entry of vehicledata. At least certain fields are pre-populated from the decodedparticulars and the other particulars. A graphical user interface isgenerated on the computer that presents the form to a user, in a textentry mode, in a staged format. User input is received on the computerfor at least certain fields not already pre-populated. As fields arepre-populated or input, the staged format of the unfilled fields isreconfigured by the computer. This includes determining whether certainunfilled fields are relevant to the vehicle based on the fieldspre-populated or input so far. Only relevant unfilled fields arepresented to the user for completion. Toggling is permitted between thetext entry mode and a multimedia entry mode for capturing, at thecomputer, multimedia data with respect to the vehicle. The multimediaentry mode has capture slots for specific vehicle multimedia data. Thenumber and type of slots is automatically reconfigured, at the computer,as fields are pre-populated or input in the text entry mode.

The vehicle identification number may be captured using a variety ofmethods, including a barcode scanner, on board diagnostics, or userinput. In one preferred embodiment, a camera on a mobile device may beused to capture the VIN.

The other vehicle particulars may include particulars related to atleast one of history, ownership, registration, service or maintenancehistory, accident data, and installed options.

The other sources may include third party databases, in which case, theother particulars are received by querying the vehicle identificationnumber or at least one of the decoded particulars in said third partydatabases.

The other sources may also include on board diagnostics, in which case,the other particulars are retrieved or scanned from the vehicle.

Preferably, the multimedia entry mode permits capturing data in photo,video or audio formats.

The user input may also include user input converted to text from voiceor image formats.

Preferably, the multimedia entry mode includes user guidance forcapturing photo, video or audio for each given slot.

This may include displaying arrows or other graphical signifiers to theuser to align a camera shot for photo or video capture.

This may also include displaying a graphical outline of at least aportion of a vehicle to the user to align a camera shot for photo orvideo capture. In some embodiments, the outline may approximate theoutline of the vehicle based on the decoded particulars.

At least one of the fields may be a user-defined field.

In some embodiments, the progress of the fields presented to the usermay be halted if a relevant field remains unfilled.

In other embodiments, the user may be allowed to skip fields are returnto them later for completion. The form with unfilled fields may be ableto be saved for completion at a later time.

Although data is retrieved from decoded particulars and other sources,in certain embodiments, the user may be permitted to verify thepre-populated fields (or provide explanatory comments).

Following completion, the system may certify that all of the relevantfields have been input or pre-populated in the text entry mode (and/orthat all of the relevant slots have been captured in the multimediaentry mode). This certification may be used as a checkpoint prior tosome other action. For example, the vehicle may only be permitted to beadvertised for sale (e.g. auction) once the form has been certified.

The captured multimedia data may be automatically analysed. This maylead to an additional field being presented to the user to be completedfollowing the analysis (e.g. particulars of some exterior damage or rustseen on the captured images), or additional data may be queried fromoutside sources (e.g. accident, maintenance or service history). Thismay also trigger an additional multimedia slot to be created for theuser to provide further multimedia data following the analysis (e.g. askthe user to take close-up pictures or video of an area of damage, or amodified part).

In one embodiment, all capturing and inputting steps are done usingonboard capabilities of the computer. The computer may, for example, bea mobile device. For example, multimedia capture may be done using acamera on the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is flow diagram of a basic outline of one presently preferredembodiment of the method.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram showing capture and input of fields through anapp.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing detail with respect to VIN capture anddecoding.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing detail with respect to photo capture.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing detail with respect to video capture.

FIG. 6 shows exemplary user guidance for multimedia capture where avehicle is initially misaligned (here, the guidance uses arrows andvehicle outline on the camera user display).

FIG. 7 shows exemplary user guidance where a vehicle is aligned with thevehicle outline.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram showing detail with respect to retrieval ofoptions data from various sources.

FIG. 9 is a functional diagram of mobile device showing certaincomponents.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before embodiments are explained in detail, it is to be understood thatthe invention is not limited in its application to the details of theexamples set forth in the following descriptions or illustrateddrawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of beingpracticed or carried out for a variety of applications and in variousways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyused herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regardedas limiting.

Before embodiments of the software modules or flow charts are describedin detail, it should be noted that the invention is not limited to anyparticular software language described or implied in the figures andthat a variety of alternative software languages may be used forimplementation.

It should also be understood that many components and items areillustrated and described as if they were hardware elements, as iscommon practice within the art. However, one of ordinary skill in theart, and based on a reading of this detailed description, wouldunderstand that, in at least one embodiment, the components comprised inthe method and tool are actually implemented in software.

The present invention may be embodied in a system, method or computerprogram product. Accordingly, the present invention may take the form ofan entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, the present invention may take the form of a computerprogram product embodied in any tangible medium of expression havingcomputer usable program code embodied in the medium.

In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the disclosedinvention, as well as the following discussion are intended to provide abrief, general description of a suitable environment in which thevarious aspects of the disclosed invention may be implemented. While theinvention has been described in the general context ofcomputer-executable instructions of a program that runs on one or morecomputers, it will be appreciated that the invention also may beimplemented in combination with other program modules. Generally,program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures,etc. that perform particular tasks and/or implement particular abstractdata types. Moreover, it will be appreciated that the system and methodmay be practiced with other computer system configurations, includingsingle-processor, multiprocessor or multi-core processor computersystems, mini-computing devices, mainframe computers, as well aspersonal computers, hand-held computing devices (e.g., personal digitalassistant (PDA), phone, watch or other electronic gadgets incorporatingthe capacity to compute), microprocessor-based or programmable consumeror industrial electronics, and the like. The illustrated aspects mayalso be practiced in distributed computing environments wheretasks/routines/processes etc. are performed by remote processing devicesthat are linked through a communications network e.g. a local areanetwork (LAN) or the Internet. However, some, if not all aspects may bepracticed on stand-alone computer(s). In a distributed computingenvironment, program modules may be located in both local and remotememory storage devices.

Computer program code for carrying out operations of the presentinvention may be written in any combination of one or more programminglanguages, including an object oriented programming language such asJava, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional procedural programminglanguages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programminglanguages. Computer code may also be written in dynamic programminglanguages that describe a class of high-level programming languages thatexecute at runtime many common behaviours that other programminglanguages might perform during compilation. JavaScript, PHP, Perl,Python and Ruby are examples of dynamic languages. Additionally computercode may also be written using a web programming stack of software,which may mainly be comprised of open source software, usuallycontaining an operating system. Web server, database server, andprogramming language. Some embodiments may use well-known open-sourceWeb development platforms using Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP. Otherexamples of environments and frameworks using which computer code mayalso be generated are Ruby on Rails which is based on the Rubyprogramming language, or node.js which is an event-driven server-sideJavaScript environment.

The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly onthe user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on theuser's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on theremote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computermay be connected to the user's computer through any type of network,including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), orthe connection may be made to an external computer (for example, throughthe Internet using an Internet Service Provider). The code isspecialized to execute functions described herein which enable asmoother and more efficient technological process.

Computing devices that enable a user to engage with internet in generalmay include a memory for storing a control program and data, and aprocessor (CPU) for executing the control program and for managing thedata, which includes user data resident in the memory and includesbuffered content. The computing device may be coupled to a video displaysuch as a television, monitor, or other type of visual display whileother devices may have it incorporated in them (iPad. Phone etc.). Anapplication or an app or other simulation may be stored on a storagemedia such as a USB memory key, flash memory, or other type of memorymedia all collectively referred to as “removable media” in thisdisclosure. The app may also be downloaded from the internet. Theremovable media can be inserted to the console of a computing devicewhere it is read. The console can then read program instructions storedon the removable media and present a user interface to the user. Theuser interface may preferably be a graphical user interface (GUI).Example of such computing devices are personal computers e.g. a laptopor a Mac, a Smartphone, a tablet, a SmartTV, etc.

The invention enables a standardized and verifiable data collectionmechanism for vehicle information. The process only collects from a userwhat is not available through verifiable direct or database sources, andonly collects what is relevant to a particular vehicle, including a fullmultimedia capture of the relevant aspects of the vehicle (good or bad).This enables savings of human effort, and also provides cleaner, morestandardized data that enables more informed and accurate evaluation andcomparisons, including automated valuations. Further, as only relevantdata is collected, storage savings may also accrue.

For example, such data may be used for vehicle valuation as part of asystem such as the one described in U.S. Ser. No. 14/728,542 (System andMethod of Vehicle Value Assessment), or in the context of an arbitrationsystem such as the one described in U.S. Ser. No. 14/794,571 (System andMethod of Automatic Arbitration in Vehicle Trading), both flied by thesame applicants, and both incorporated herein by reference.

FIG. 1 shows a presently-preferred embodiment 100. A system and methodis provided for capturing vehicle data 101. This may be implemented on aserver such that it is accessible over the Internet through a computingdevice, like a Smartphone, a tablet or the like. Devices where theinvention can be advantageously used include but are not limited topersonal computers e.g. laptops, tablet computers, touch-screencomputers running any number of different operating systems e.g. MSWindows, Apple iOS, Linux, Ubuntu, etc. Smartphones like an iPhone, anAndroid phone, tablets like iPad and the like.

Many factors may influence the data capture requirements of a vehicle,thus having the correct information is paramount in determining anaccurate assessment. In one embodiment the data capture requirements fora vehicle are dependent on its make, model, year, type, mileage,installed options, condition, value, the region where the vehicle hadbeen used in the past, amongst other factors.

The user launches the app 102. Preferably the users may connect to thesystem using a connected device e.g. a Smartphone, a tablet, or apersonal computer where the app executes. In one embodiment the app maybe downloaded from an AppStore.

In one embodiment there may be a purpose built application using which auser may interact with the functionality provided by the system. Theapplication may be specific for a particular mobile device e.g. aniPhone or a Google Android phone, or a tablet computer etc. orcross-platform compatible e.g. Flash or HTML5 based app that can be usedin a browser.

In some embodiments, the device is portable. In some embodiments, thedevice has a touch-sensitive display with a graphical user interface(GUI), one or more processors, memory and one or more modules, programsor sets of instructions stored in the memory for performing multiplefunctions. In some embodiments, the user interacts with the GUIprimarily through finger contacts and gestures on the touch-sensitivedisplay. Instructions for performing different functions may be includedin a computer readable storage medium or other computer program productconfigured for execution by one or more processors.

The user scans the VIN of the vehicle 103. In one embodiment this may bedone using the connected device. A VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)is a unique code including a serial number, used by the automotiveindustry to identify individual motor vehicles. The first threecharacters uniquely identify the manufacturer of the vehicle using theworld manufacturer identifier or VIN code. There are 17 numbers andletters (17 positions) in a VIN and these can be divided into threegroups: World Manufacturer Identifier, Vehicle Descriptor Section, andVehicle Identifier Section.

In one embodiment the VIN may be acquired by performing a VIN scan usinga mechanised method to automatically machine read the VIN from thevehicle. In one embodiment a VIN may be optically read with barcodescanners or digital cameras, or digitally read via OBD-II (On BoardDiagnostics) available in some vehicles. In one embodiment there may bea Smartphone based app that can capture the VIN from a vehicle andtransmit it to the server for processing (decoding and gatheringinformation from third parties).

In another embodiment the VIN may be inputted into the app by the userby physically reading it from the vehicle; the user input may be text orvoice. Typically the VIN is stamped into a plate that's mounted on thedashboard near the windshield or on the driver-side door jamb. It isalso stamped on the engine's firewall. Such an embodiment may provide auser interface for inputting the VIN. User input may be provided viatext or voice or other methods.

The VIN is then decoded to decipher the information that is contained inthe VIN. VIN decode or VIN explosion reveals the information that isencoded in a VIN. The VIN can reveal a number of things about a car,including its airbag type, country of origin, engine size, model yearand trim level. VIN can be decoded using third party services. Thisinformation may be used to get further information about the vehiclefrom third parties.

Some information about a vehicle may not be available from the MN, e.g.color, engine size, installed options may not be available. Suchinformation may be obtained from third parties by querying theirdatabases by supplying the VIN and getting information.

In one embodiment the system and method may use the VIN to acquireinformation about the vehicle from internal resources e.g. data saved toa server. In another embodiment send VIN and other vehicleidentification information to different third party sources to acquiremore detailed information about the vehicle.

The app interface and data capture requirements are adapted based oninformation extracted from VIN and information gathered from thirdparties using VIN 104. The app interface and data capture requirementschange to match the information gathered from the VIN. For example, ifthe VIN reveals that the vehicle is a 4-door sedan then the user isasked to take 4 photos and 1 video but if the VIN reveals that thevehicle is a 2-door convertible then the user is asked to take photos 8photos and 3 videos.

The user is provided with cues for data capture 105. The preferredembodiment may provide a graphical user interface using which a user maybe cued or guided for taking photos and videos of the vehicle. Forexample in one embodiment for a 4-door sedan a user may be asked to takeone photo each from the front, back, and either side. Similarly if thevehicle is a 2-door convertible then the user may be instructed to takeone photo each from the front, back, and either side as well as takephotos with the top on and top off.

The app interface and data capture requirements adapt as more data isentered 106. In one embodiment as more data is captured the appinterface and data capture requirements are continuously adapted toadjust to this information and provides the user with the cues that arein accordance to this information. Thus if a user states the vehicle has2 sets of tires e.g. one set is all season tires while the other set iswinter tires, the app may instruct the user to take photos of each setof tires.

Some exemplary factors that have an impact on the number and the datacapture points take into consideration the following:

VIN number of the vehicle

Make, model and year of the vehicle

Type of vehicle

Resale value of the vehicle

Mileage

Factory installed options

After market installed equipment e.g. audio/video console

In some embodiments the videos audio are suited for capturing thefollowing.

engine noise

exhaust system e.g. smoke, fumes from the tail pipe

condition of tires

condition of windshield

noise from the transmission

noise from the brakes

electrical system, indicators, headlights

condition of body e.g. rust

body damage e.g. dents due to an accident

condition of interior

Other information that cannot be captured by text may also be capturedusing digital (multimedia) means like videos and audio. The above listsare exemplary and are not intended to be exhaustive.

FIG. 2 shows a presently-preferred embodiment 200. The user launches theapp 201. The user scans the VIN of the vehicle 202. In one embodimentthe user scans the VIN of the vehicle using either a mechanized methode.g. using an app to capture the VIN photo and then sending that phototo the server to machine read the VIN number. In another embodiment auser may input the VIN by physically reading the VIN from the vehicleand inputting the text into the app interface. Optionally there may be aVIN verification process built into the system, such that if a userprovides an incomplete or inaccurate VIN number the system alerts theuser to correctly input the VIN number.

The app analyzes the VIN and provides an interface for capturing vehicledata based on the information gathered from VIN 203. In one embodimentthe vehicle information including a vehicle's make, model, year,installed options, mileage, color, region where the vehicle is from etc.may have an impact on the vehicle data capture points. Theaforementioned list of factors is exemplary and different factors may beused that can influence the assessed value of a vehicle. Additionallyany number of different combinations and permutations of these factorsmay be used in other embodiments.

Optionally, the app connects to third party providers and acquiresvehicle data using the VIN and uses this information to adapt the formwizard 204. Vehicle data and condition information may be acquired fromdifferent sources. In one embodiment additional vehicle information likeits specific installed options; its condition e.g. any accidents, anydents, any paints jobs, any major or minor repairs etc.; its historye.g. whether the vehicle is single owner, multi-owner, was it a previousdaily rental, the region where the vehicle was driven etc. any major orminor recalls of the vehicle by the manufacturer amongst other things,may be acquired from third parties using the VIN. Such data may beacquired from third parties by querying their online databases using VINof the vehicle.

In one embodiment the vehicle history data may be acquired from thirdparties. Examples of such third parties from vehicle history data may beacquired are Carproof, Experian (Autocheck) and CarFax. Such thirdparties may provide vehicle history data that may include but is notlimited to registration, accidents, liens, title (rebuilt, stolen,flooded).

In one embodiment the vehicle service history may be acquired from thirdparties. It is well known that major repairs to vehicle may have animpact on the resale value of a vehicle, while normal maintenanceperformed at prescribed intervals such as oil changes, tune ups andreplacement of belts and hoses etc. contributes positively towards theresale value of a vehicle. Examples of such third parties from vehicleservice history may be acquired are dealerships, authorised repairworkshops, etc.

In one embodiment the vehicle accident data may be acquired from thirdparties. Examples of such third parties from vehicle accident data maybe acquired are Carproof. Experian (Autocheck) and CarFax. For exampleif a vehicle had a major accident and has been repaired, the user may beguided to take photos and videos of the area that was repaired after theaccident.

Means is provided to capture photos 205. The app preferably provides aphoto capture means (i.e. multimedia mode in the interface), for examplethat prompts the user to take a given number of photos (e.g. inmultimedia “slots”) from given vantage points that are determined by theinformation gathered from the VIN. In some embodiments the photos may becaptured by using a camera that is built in a mobile device e.g. aSmartphone or an iPad.

Means is provided to capture videos 206. The app preferably provides avideo capture means (i.e. multimedia mode in the interface), for examplethat prompts the user to take a given number of videos (e.g. inmultimedia “slots”) from given vantage points that are determined by theinformation gathered from the VIN. In some embodiments the videos may becaptured by using a camera that is built in a mobile device e.g. aSmartphone or an iPad.

Means is provided to capture text information 207. The app preferablyprovides text capture means (i.e. text entry mode in the interface), forexample that prompts the user to add text information or may providedrop down menus using which a user inputs text information in variousrelevant fields of the form that are not otherwise pre-filled orpre-populated. What text information is to be inputted by the user maypreferably be determined by the information gathered from the VIN. Theapp may preferably provide a user interface e.g. a touch screeninterface using which a user may add the text information about thevehicle.

Means is provided to capture user defined information 208. The apppreferably provides means to capture user defined information, forexample that prompts the user to add photos, videos, audio or textinformation for any particular items that may not have already beenprovided by the system. For example a user may state that the vehiclehas two sets of rims and tires, thus the system will prompt the user totake photos of both sets of rims and tires. The app may preferablyprovide a user interface e.g. a touch screen interface with drop downmenus using which a user may add user defined information.

The app interface and data capture requirements dynamically adapt basedon information entered by user 209.

The app may not proceed to the next stage if the user has failed toprovide all the information that is required for the current stage.

Alternatively, the app may proceed to the next stage even if the user ismissing some information at the current stage but at a later point itwill prompt the user to add the missing information and preferably maynot submit the vehicle data for online sale or appraisal if anyinformation is missing (i.e. the completion must be certified prior toallowing submission of the form data).

FIG. 3 shows one embodiment 300. The user scans the VIN or enters itmanually 301. In one embodiment the user scans the VIN of the vehicleusing a mechanized method while in another embodiment the user providesthe VIN by manually entering it into the interface of the app.

The system connects to third parties and acquires information about thevehicle using VIN 302. Additional vehicle information that may beacquired from third parties includes but is not limited to its installedoptions; its condition e.g. any accidents, any dents, any paints jobs,any major or minor repairs etc.; its history e.g. whether the vehicle issingle owner, multi-owner, was it a previous daily rental, the regionwhere the vehicle was driven etc. any major or minor recalls of thevehicle by the manufacturer amongst other things. Such data may beacquired from third parties by querying their online databases using VINof the vehicle.

Third parties may include but are not limited Carproof. Experian(Autocheck) and CarFax for acquiring vehicle history data for example itmay include but is not limited to registration, accidents, liens, title(rebuilt, stolen, flooded).

The fields of the form may be pre-filled (pre-populated) using theinformation acquired from third parties 303 which may then be displayedthrough the graphical user interface to the app.

The user may be allowed to verify the information pre-filled in thefields 304. Thus firstly the user verifies the information that has beenacquired from third parties and secondly the user has the option tocomplete any information that is incomplete or add any information thatis missing.

In some embodiments the third party data may arrive with some delay,thus a user may be required to take extra photos, videos and provideadditional text information out of sequence based on impact of thisthird party information. For example if third party information revealsthat the vehicle had an accident and the rear bumper was repaired, theuser may be prompted to take close up photos of the area of the rearbumper where the repair was done.

FIG. 4 shows one embodiment 400. Means are provided to capture photos401. In one embodiment the app provides a photo capture means, forexample it provides an interface that prompts the user to take a givenumber of photos from given vantage points that are determined by theinformation gathered from the MN.

The number of photos and photo capture points are adapted based on theinformation gathered from the VIN 402. In one embodiment the number ofphotos and the position/angle of the camera when the photo is beingtaken is determined by the information gathered from the VIN and theinformation acquired from third parties using the VIN.

The user may be instructed to take photos from defined capture points403. In one embodiment preferably the user may be instructed to stand ata certain distance from the vehicle and hold the camera at a certainangle while taking the photos. In one embodiment there may be forexample a graphical representation (e.g. outline) of the vehicle thatinstructs the user what the correct distance and angle are, and if theuser is off the mark the app guides the user till the correct distanceand angle are reached.

Vehicle options may be acquired from a database 404. The database ofinstalled options for different vehicles may be local or may be hostedby third parties that specialize in gathering such information fordifferent makes, models and years of vehicles in either a given area orglobally.

The number of photos and photo capture details is adapted based onvehicle options 405. In one embodiment adapt number of photos and photocapture details based on vehicle options.

The use may be instructed to take photos of select options 406.

FIG. 5 shows one embodiment 500. Means is provided to capture video 501.In one embodiment the app provides a video capture means, for example itprovides an interface that prompts the user to take a give number ofvideos from given vantage points that are determined by the informationgathered from the VIN.

The number of videos and video capture points is adapted based on theinformation gathered from the VIN 502. In one embodiment the number ofvideos and the position angle of the camera when the video is beingrecorded is determined by the information gathered from the VIN and theinformation acquired from third parties using the VIN.

The user may be instructed to take video from defined capture points 50.In one embodiment preferably the user may be instructed to stand at acertain distance from the vehicle and hold the camera at a certainangle. There may be for example a graphical representation of thevehicle that instructs the user what the correct distance and angle are,and if the user is off the mark the app guides the user till the correctdistance and angle are reached.

Vehicle options may be acquired from a database 504. The database ofinstalled options for different vehicles may be local or may be hostedby third parties that specialize in gathering such information fordifferent makes, models and years of vehicles in either a given area orglobally.

Vehicle mileage may be acquired 505. For example, vehicle mileage datamay be acquired from On Board Diagnostics (OBD). Alternatively vehiclemileage data may be acquired by using image/photo analysis of odometer.The vehicle mileage may also be user provided.

The number of videos and video capture details are adapted based onvehicle options and mileage 506.

The user may be instructed to capture audio/video while vehicle isstarted but not moving 507. In some embodiments the user may be cued towalk around the running vehicle while capturing audio/video.

The user may be instructed to rev the engine while capturing audio/video(while vehicle is started but not moving) 508. In some embodiments theuser may be cued to walk to the front of the vehicle and then the rearof the vehicle while capturing audio/video and the vehicle is beingrevved.

The user may be instructed to drive the vehicle while capturingaudio/video 509. For safety reasons the user may be instructed to gethelp from another person or there may be a means for holding the devicein a given position while recording the video so that the user can drivesafely with both hands.

It should be noted that the steps described above may be in any givensequence, in fact in some implementations the user may be required to goback and add more photos/videos as information from third parties isacquired in either real time or non real time e.g. if a query to a thirdparty reveals that the vehicle has had an accident in the past then theuser may be prompted to take extra photos and videos of the area thathad sustained the damage to accurately capture the quality of the repairwork.

FIG. 6 shows one embodiment 600. FIG. 6 depicts data for a vehicle 601being collected by a user 602. User 602 is holding a mobile device 603where app is installed. The mobile device 603 display shows asketch-line of a vehicle 604, and the user is cued to align thesketch-line 604 with the image of the vehicle 605 that may be capturedby the camera built into the mobile device 603.

As can be seen from FIG. 6, that the sketch-line 604 is not fullyaligned with the image of the vehicle 605 and an arrow 606 cues the userto move the mobile device 603 in the direction of the arrow 606. Arrow607 depicts the actual moving of the mobile device 603 by the user 602in the direction of the cued arrow 605.

It should be noted that the sketch-line 604 of a vehicle may bedifferent for each vehicle type or vehicle make, model and year. Theremay be several sketch-lines of different vehicles available in the appand by using the information derived from the VIN, the correctsketch-line of the relevant vehicle may be over-layed the image of thevehicle to cue the user accurately to capture visual data about thevehicle. Thus we note that FIG. 6 shows a vehicle 601 that is an SUV andthe sketch-line 604 also shows an SUV that is either same or similar tothe actual vehicle to guide the user to capture the visual dataaccurately.

FIG. 7 shows one embodiment 700. FIG. 7 depicts data for a vehicle 701being collected by a user 702. User 702 is holding a mobile device 703where app is installed. The mobile device 603 display shows asketch-line of a vehicle 704 that is well aligned with the image of thevehicle 705 that may be captured by the camera built into the mobiledevice 703.

As can be seen from FIG. 7, the user has positioned the mobile device703 correctly to fully align the sketch-line 704 with the image of thevehicle 705 and no arrows cueing the user to move are displayed by theapp.

It should be noted that the sketch-line 704 may be different for eachvehicle type or vehicle make, model and year. Thus we see that thevehicle 701 is a convertible and the sketch-line of a convertiblevehicle 704 that has been over-layed the image of the vehicle 705 to cuethe user accurately to capture visual data about the vehicle.

In one embodiment similar sketch-lines or guidance lines or other meansmay also be provided in the app for assisting the user to capturephotos/videos for the vehicle interior options e.g. navigation system,odometer, dashboard etc. and vehicle exterior options e.g. rims, tires,tail-lights, head-lights, etc.

FIG. 8 shows one embodiment 800. Vehicles vary greatly in terms of theoptions that are installed in different models of the same make andyear. For example a Honda Civic DX is lower end vehicle with fewerinstalled options that the Honda Civic LX of the same year.

Vehicle options information may be acquired from vehicle manufacturers801. Such information may be digitally available from vehiclemanufacturers and added to the system as new models of vehicles arereleased. In another embodiment this information may be added to thesystem manually.

Vehicle options information may be acquired from third parties likeforums and reviews 802. Such information may be digitally available fromforums and reviews and added to the system as new forums and reviews arepublished. In another embodiment this information may be added to thesystem manually.

Crowd-sourced vehicle options information may be acquired 803. Suchinformation may be digitally available by providing a graphical userinterface using which people can add information into the system. Inanother embodiment this information may be added to the system manually.

The vehicle options information may be stored in a database 804. In oneembodiment the vehicle options information is stored in a databasepreferably on a server that is accessible online so that the app canremotely connect to the server and query the database to acquire theinstalled options details of a given vehicle.

Crowd sourced installed options information may be used e.g. aninterface may be provided using which scores of people (crowd) mayprovide the actual options installed in a number of different makes andmodels of vehicles. In one embodiment in order to verify the data addedby the crowd, multiple people may be asked to provide the installedoptions for a given make, model, year of vehicle to ensure accuracy.

Vehicle installed options information may be acquired from third partieslike dealerships, authorised repair workshops, etc. In anotherembodiment information about vehicle installed option may be provided bya user.

Vehicle data may be acquired from On Board Diagnostics of a vehicle.Such data may be obtained from a vehicle by plugging devices to thestandard On Board Diagnostics ports that are available in most newvehicles. The number of photos/videos and the capture points may beadapted based on the information gathered from On Board Diagnostics.

The system may also consider the condition of the vehicle body and anydamage that it may have sustained over its life. For example if visualanalysis of captured photo or video reveals that there are any dents orif there is any rust the user may be asked to take close up photos orvideos of the damaged area. The user may be cued when taking the doseups to adjust the distance of the camera and the angle by providingguide lines.

The user may be instructed to take photos of each of the tires to assessif the tires are worn out or are in good shape.

The user may be instructed to record video/audio to assess the conditionof the engine. Optionally the user may be required to rev the enginewhile recording the video/audio to capture any engine noise at high RPM.

The system may also consider the condition of the vehicle's transmissionand damage or major repairs that it may have had over the lifetime ofthe vehicle. For example the user may be instructed to drive the vehicleso that any issues with the transmission can be captured to assess itscondition and if it needs repairs or replacement.

The user may be instructed to take close up photos of the windshield toassess if the windshield has any chips or cracks in it and requires areplacement.

The user may be instructed to take close up photos of the interior ofthe vehicle to get a better assessment on the condition of the seats,the instrument panel, the navigation system etc.

The system may also consider the mileage of the vehicle. For example ifthere are two vehicles of the same make, model, year but the firstvehicle has been driven 20,000 miles and has a value of $10,000; whilethe second vehicle has been driven 80,000 miles and has a value of$5,000; then the user of the first vehicle may be required to take aphoto of the odometer and that photo is processed using OCR to verifythe low mileage of the first vehicle, while the user of the secondvehicle may not be required to take a photo of the odometer.

The system may also consider the vehicle service history. Vehicleservice history may be acquired from third party providers likedealerships, and may include information whether the vehicle has hadregular maintenance performed at the prescribed intervals as suggestedby the manufacturer. For example if a first vehicle has not beenregularly serviced and/or was not serviced at the dealership the usermay be required to record multiple video/audio streams capturing theengine noise and other indicators that can be used to judge itscondition whereas if a similar vehicle that has been serviced regularlyat the dealership and the service records are readily available may notbe required to capture these extra video/audio streams.

The system may also consider the installed options in a vehicle. Forexample if the vehicle has leather seats and navigation then the usermay be required to take close up photos of the seats and the instrumentpanel with the navigation system running.

The system may also consider the history of the vehicle. History mayinclude but is not limited to vehicle title history, the number ofprevious owners, who those owners were etc. For example if the vehicleis a single owner vehicle, then the user may not be required to takeclose ups of the interior but if the vehicle has had multiple owners orif the vehicle was a previous daily rental then the user may be requiredto take extra close ups of interior and exterior as the vehicle may havehad more wear and tear.

FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary block diagram of a mobile device 900.Exemplary electronic circuitry of a typical mobile phone are shown;other devices may differ and may either omit or have electroniccomponents not shown here. The mobile device 900 includes one or moremicroprocessors 901, which is electronically coupled to other electroniccomponents such as memory 902 (e.g., non-volatile memory such as ROM andvolatile memory such as RAM) which stores processor-readable code whichis executed by one or more processors of the control processor 901 toimplement the functionality described herein.

Mobile device 900 may include, for example, processors 901, memory 902including applications 902 a and non-volatile storage 902 b. Theprocessor 901 can implement communications, as well any number ofapplications, including the applications discussed herein. Memory 902can be any variety of memory storage media types, including non-volatileand volatile memory. In the present invention, form data (bothcaptured/retrieved and input) may be stored in memory on the device.Such data may also be transmitted or uploaded to a remote storage (e.g.a central server). A device operating system handles the differentoperations of the mobile device 900 and may contain user interfaces foroperations, such as placing and receiving phone calls, text messaging,multi-media messaging, checking voicemail, e-mail, games and the like.The applications 902 a can be any assortment of programs, such as acamera application for photos and/or videos, an address book, a calendarapplication, a media player, an Internet browser, games, an alarmapplication, other third party applications, the applications discussedherein, and the like. The non-volatile storage component 902 b in memory902 contains data such as web caches, music, photos, contact data,scheduling data, and other files.

The processor 901 also communicates with RF transmitter/receivercircuitry 903 which in turn is coupled to an antenna 904, with aninfrared transmitter/receiver 905, with a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver906 a WiFi transmitter/receiver 907, a battery 908, a power connector909, a GPS 910, a gyroscope 911, a light sensor 912, a temperaturesensor 913, a heart rate sensor 914, a pressure sensor 915, a camera916, a speaker 917, a microphone 918, a user interface/keyboard or atouchscreen 919, and a ringer/vibrator 920.

The processor 901 also communicates with Infrared transmitter/receivercircuitry 905. The way this technology works is that the infraredtransmit component flashes an infrared light in a particular pattern,which another component (the infrared receiver) can pick up andtranslate into an instruction. These transmitters and receivers are alsotypically found in remote controls and are now embedded in mobiledevices that can turn them into remote control devices. They typicallygenerate infrared using light emitting diodes (LEDs), and the maincomponent of a receiver unit is usually a photodiode.

The processor 901 also communicates with Bluetooth transmitter/receivercircuitry 906. Bluetooth is a standard wire-replacement communicationsprotocol primarily designed for low power consumption, with a shortrange. Bluetooth provides a secure way to connect and exchangeinformation between devices such as mobile phones, laptops, personalcomputers etc. A Bluetooth-enabled mobile device is able to pair withmany other devices for communications.

The processor 901 also communicates with WiFi transmitter/receivercircuitry 907. WiFi is a technology that allows an electronic device toexchange data or connect to the internet wirelessly using radiofrequencies. Thus the embedded WiFi transmitter/receiver circuitry 907in a mobile device allow it to connect to the internet forcommunications. A Wi-Fi-enabled mobile device can connect to theInternet when within range of a wireless network which is configured topermit this. Such communications processes may be used in the presentinvention, for example, for querying/retrieving VIN decode information,querying/retrieving data from other databases, and to upload form data.

A battery 908 provides a power source to operate the differentelectronic components in the mobile device 900. An electric battery is adevice consisting of one or more electrochemical cells that convertstored chemical energy into electrical energy. Typically the battery 908is a rechargeable battery.

The processor 901 controls transmission and reception of wirelesssignals. During a transmission mode, the processor 901 provides a voicesignal from microphone 918, or other data signal, to the RFtransmitter/receiver circuitry 903. The RF transmitter/receivercircuitry 903 transmits the signal to a remote station (e.g., a fixedstation, operator, other cellular phones, etc.) for communicationthrough the antenna 904. The ringer/vibrator 920 is used to signal anincoming call, text message, calendar reminder, alarm clock reminder, orother notification to the user. During a receiving mode, the RFtransmitter/receiver circuitry 903 receives a voice or other data signalfrom a remote station through the antenna 904. A received voice signalis provided to the speaker 917 while other received data signals arealso processed appropriately.

A physical power connector 909 can be used to connect the mobile device900 to an external power source, such as an AC adapter or powereddocking station. In some cases the same physical connector as the powerconnector 909 can also be used as a data connection to a computingdevice (e.g. on an iPhone). The data connection allows for operationssuch as synchronizing mobile device data with the computing data onanother device.

A global positioning service (GPS) receiver 910 utilizingsatellite-based radio navigation to relay the position of the userapplications enabled for such service.

A gyroscope 911, is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation,based on the principles of angular momentum and allows for more accuraterecognition of movement within a 3D space. Gyroscopes in consumerelectronics are frequently combined with accelerometers (accelerationsensors) for more robust direction- and motion-sensing.

A light sensor 912, is a device for sensing light and may be used forautomatically adjusting the brightness of the screen back-light both toimprove battery life and make it easier to see the screen.

A temperature sensor 913, is a device for sensing and measuringtemperature.

A heart rate sensor 914, is a device for sensing and measuring the heartrate.

A pressure sensor 915, is a device for sensing and measuring thepressure.

A camera 916, is a device for capturing video images (still and motion).Cameras embedded in mobile devices like mobile phones can capturedigital pictures almost instantly and automatically. This enablesservices like multi-media messaging, video calling, and the like. Thecameras embedded in mobile devices like smartphones may also be used asinput devices in numerous applications, e.g. reading QR codes; where theQR codes can be sensed by the mobile device using its camera and providea link to related digital content, via a URL. In the present invention,the onboard camera may be used for capturing still or video images ofthe vehicle, including images used to capture specific data for input(e.g. VIN number, odometer, service lights or symbols on dashboarddisplay).

A speaker 917 is a device that converts electrical signals into sound. Aspeaker on a mobile device is used for communications that is relayingthe sound of the remote party as RF signals received via the antenna904, coupled to the RF transmitter/receiver 903 and processed by theprocessor 901. A speaker may also be used for playing the audio e.g.music that may be stored on the mobile device or may be streaming usinginternet communications.

A microphone 918 is a device that converts sound signals into electricalsignals. A microphone on a mobile device is used for communications byconverting the sound of the user to the remote party. Sound signalsconverted to electrical signals are relayed to the remote party as RFsignals received via the antenna 904, coupled to the RFtransmitter/receiver 903 and processed by the processor 901. In thepresent invention, a microphone may be used for audio capture (e.g.sounds of engine running or revving). Microphone may also be used forvoice input.

A user interface/keyboard or a touchscreen 919, are among the manydifferent methods for receiving input from a user and converting thisinput into the appropriate electrical signals to be processed by theprocessor 901. Most Smartphones these days have a touchscreen thatenables a user to touch and provide an input e.g. typing text, orplaying a game using gestures. In the present invention, keyboard ortouchscreen inputs may be received from a user to complete fields of theform to provide vehicle data.

A ringer/vibrator 920 is used for alerting a user of any incoming oroutgoing communications, e.g. an incoming call, an outgoing e-mail.

In one embodiment there may be a database that stores the warrantyinformation for different makes and models of vehicles. Such a databasemay also store the required service to the vehicle at given intervals orgiven mileages. Such a database may be hosted on line so that it isaccessible over a network e.g. the internet using a connected devicee.g. a Smartphone.

Thus using such a database and the mileage information provided by theuser or acquired via OCR from a photo of the dashboard of a vehicle itcan be determined if a vehicle is under warranty or not. Thus the datacapture requirements may vary depending on whether a vehicle is underwarranty or not.

In one embodiment prompt the user to take the photos of the instrumentpanel (dash) of a vehicle to capture any service lights that may havecome on suggesting that a user take the vehicle to a dealership forrequired service like a scheduled oil change or an engine check up.

These descriptions exemplify only some of the several possibleembodiments and are not meant to be exhaustive.

It should be understood that although the term application has been usedas an example in this disclosure but in essence the term may also implyto any other piece of software code where the embodiments areincorporated. The software application can be implemented in astandalone configuration or in combination with other software programsand is not limited to any particular operating system or programmingparadigm described here.

The computer program comprises: a computer usable medium having computerusable program code, the computer usable program code comprises:computer usable program code for presenting graphically to the usersoptions for scrolling via the touch-screen interface.

The examples noted here are only for illustrative purposes and there maybe further implementation embodiments possible with a different set ofcomponents. While several embodiments are described, there is no intentto limit the disclosure to the embodiment or embodiments disclosedherein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all practicalalternatives, modifications, and equivalents.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A mobile device comprising: a cameraconfigured to generate images; a display; a memory, the memoryconfigured to store a first vehicle feature correlated to a firstperspective of a vehicle and a second vehicle feature correlated to asecond perspective of the vehicle; and a processor in communication withthe camera, the display, and the memory, the processor configured to:responsive to determining to obtain a first image for the firstperspective of the vehicle and a second image for the second perspectiveof the vehicle: generate, on the display, an output configured to cue auser while the user is walking around the vehicle in order to obtain thefirst image for the first perspective of the vehicle and the secondimage for the second perspective of the vehicle; determine, based on thefirst vehicle feature, whether at least a part of the vehicle in a firstimage generated by the camera is aligned with the first perspective ofthe vehicle; responsive to obtaining the first image of the firstperspective of the vehicle, cue, via the display, the user that thefirst image of the first perspective of the vehicle is obtained; afterobtaining the first image of the first perspective of the vehicle andresponsive to a first action performed at the mobile device, the firstaction indicative of identifying damage in a subpart of the firstperspective of the vehicle, cue the user for input regarding the damagein the subpart of the first perspective of the vehicle; responsive tocuing the user for input regarding damage in the subpart of the firstperspective of the vehicle, receive input from the user regarding thedamage in the subpart of the first perspective of the vehicle;determine, based on the second vehicle feature, whether at least a partof the vehicle in a second image generated by the camera is aligned withthe second perspective of the vehicle; responsive to obtaining thesecond image of the second perspective of the vehicle, cue, via thedisplay, the user that the second image of the second perspective of thevehicle is obtained; after obtaining the second image of the secondperspective of the vehicle and responsive to a second action performedat the mobile device, the second action indicative of identifying damagein a subpart of the second perspective of the vehicle, cue the user forinput regarding the damage in the subpart of the second perspective ofthe vehicle; and responsive to cuing the user for input regarding damagein the subpart of the second perspective of the vehicle, receive inputfrom the user regarding the damage in the subpart of the secondperspective of the vehicle.
 2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein thefirst vehicle feature comprises a first vehicle sketch line; and whereinthe second vehicle feature comprises a second vehicle sketch line. 3.The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to automatically select the first vehicle feature and thesecond vehicle feature.
 4. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein thememory is configured to store a first specific vehicle featurecorrelated to the first perspective of a specific type of vehicle and asecond specific vehicle feature correlated to the second perspective ofthe specific type of vehicle; and wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to: access a specific vehicle identification number (VIN)related to a vehicle; automatically identify the specific type ofvehicle from the specific VIN; and automatically access, from thememory, based on the automatically identified specific type of vehicle,the first specific vehicle feature and the second specific vehiclefeature; wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on thefirst specific vehicle feature, whether the at least a part of thevehicle in the first image is aligned with the first perspective of thespecific type of vehicle; and wherein the processor is configured todetermine, based on the second specific vehicle feature, whether the atleast a part of the vehicle in the second image is aligned with thesecond perspective of the specific type of vehicle.
 5. The mobile deviceof claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to cue the user to inputdamage regarding the first perspective of the vehicle by cuing the userto adjust distance of the camera to the vehicle in order to obtaindamage information for the first perspective of the vehicle; and whereinthe processor is configured to cue the user to input damage regardingthe second perspective of the vehicle by cuing the user to adjust thedistance of the camera to the vehicle in order to obtain damageinformation for the second perspective of the vehicle.
 6. The mobiledevice of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:provide, via the display, a cue to the user responsive to determiningthat the at least a part of the vehicle in the first image is alignedwith the first perspective of the vehicle; and provide, via the display,a cue to the user responsive to determining that the at least a part ofthe vehicle in the second image is aligned with the second perspectiveof the vehicle.
 7. The mobile device of claim 6, wherein the processoris configured to provide the cue to the user responsive to determiningthat the at least a part of the vehicle in the first image is alignedwith the first perspective of the vehicle by removing an arrow from thedisplay.
 8. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor isconfigured to obtain images of the vehicle from a front perspective ofthe vehicle, a back perspective of the vehicle, and at least one sideperspective of the vehicle; and wherein the memory is configured tostore a front vehicle feature correlated to the front perspective of thevehicle, a back vehicle feature correlated to the back perspective ofthe vehicle, and at least one side vehicle feature correlated to the atleast one side perspective of the vehicle; and wherein the processor isconfigured to determine, based on the front vehicle feature, the backvehicle feature, the at least one side vehicle feature, whether at leasta part of the vehicle for different images generated by the camera isaligned with the front perspective of the vehicle, the back perspectiveof the vehicle, and the at least one side perspective of the vehicle. 9.The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the first vehicle featurecomprises a first guidance line; and wherein the second vehicle featurecomprises a second guidance line.
 10. The mobile device of claim 1,whererin the first action is indicative of identifying a location of thedamage for the first perspective of the vehicle.
 11. The mobile deviceof claim 1, wherein the first action comprises an automatic analysis bythe mobile device.
 12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein theautomatic analysis is of the first image of the first perspective of thevehicle.
 13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processor isconfigured to automatically analyze the first image of the firstperspective of the vehicle for a specific type of damage; and wherein,responsive to the processor identifying the specific type of damage, theprocessor is configured to cue the user in order to obtain additionalinformation regarding the specific type of damage identified in thefirst image of the first perspective of the vehicle.
 14. The mobiledevice of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to automaticallyanalyze the first image of the first perspective of the vehicle toidentify the specific type of damage in a damage area within the firstperspective of the vehicle; and wherein, responsive to the processoridentifying the specific type of damage in the damage area, theprocessor is configured to cue the user to adjust the mobile device inorder to obtain an image of the damage area.
 15. The mobile device ofclaim 14, wherein the processor is configured to cue the user to adjustthe mobile device in order to obtain the image of the damage area bycuing the user to move closer to the vehicle.
 16. The mobile device ofclaim 15, wherein the processor is configured to cue the user to adjustthe mobile device in order to obtain the image of the damage area byproviding guide lines on the display.
 17. The mobile device of claim 1,wherein the processor is configured to cue the user for input regardingthe damage in the subpart of the first perspective of the vehicle bygenerating an overlay on the display of the mobile device.
 18. Themobile device of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured togenerate an overlay by providing guide lines on the display.
 19. Themobile device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receivethe input from the user regarding the damage in the subpart of the firstperspective of the vehicle in order for the camera to obtain an image ofthe subpart of the first perspective of the vehicle.
 20. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium having data stored thereinrepresenting software executable by a mobile device, the softwareincluding instructions, when executed by one or more processors on themobile device, causing performance of a method comprising: responsive todetermining to obtain a first image for a first perspective of a vehicleand a second image for a second perspective of the vehicle: generating,on a display of the mobile device, an output configured to cue a userwhile the user is walking around the vehicle in order to obtain thefirst image for the first perspective of the vehicle; determining, basedon a first vehicle feature stored in a memory of the mobile device,whether at least a part of the vehicle in an image generated by a cameraof the mobile device is aligned with the first perspective of thevehicle; responsive to obtaining the first image of the firstperspective of the vehicle, cuing, via the display, the user that thefirst image of the first perspective of the vehicle is obtained; afterobtaining the first image of the first perspective of the vehicle andresponsive to a first action performed at the mobile device, the firstaction indicative of identifying damage in a subpart of the firstperspective of the vehicle, cuing the user for input regarding thedamage in the subpart of the first perspective of the vehicle;responsive to cuing the user for input regarding damage in the subpartof the first perspective of the vehicle, receiving input from the userregarding the damage in the subpart of the first perspective of thevehicle; determining, based on a second vehicle feature stored in thememory of the mobile device, whether at least a part of the vehicle inan image generated by the camera is aligned with the second perspectiveof the vehicle; responsive to obtaining the second image of the secondperspective of the vehicle, cuing, via the display, the user that thesecond image of the second perspective of the vehicle is obtained; afterobtaining the second image of the second perspective of the vehicle andresponsive to a second action performed at the mobile device, the secondaction indicative of identifying damage in a subpart of the secondperspective of the vehicle, cuing the user for input regarding thedamage in the subpart of the second perspective of the vehicle; andresponsive to cuing the user for input regarding damage in the subpartof the second perspective of the vehicle, receiving input from the userregarding the damage in the subpart of the second perspective of thevehicle.
 21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 20,whererin the first action is indicative of identifying a location of thedamage for the first perspective of the vehicle.
 22. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein the first action comprisesan automatic analysis by the mobile device.
 23. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 22, wherein the automatic analysis isof the first image of the first perspective of the vehicle; wherein theinstructions are further configured to automatically analyze the firstimage of the first perspective of the vehicle for a specific type ofdamage; and wherein, responsive to the automatic analysis identifyingthe specific type of damage, the instructions cuing the user in order toobtain additional information regarding the specific type of damageidentified in the first image of the first perspective of the vehicle.24. The mobile device of claim 23, wherein the automatic analysis of thefirst image of the first perspective of the vehicle identifies thespecific type of damage in a damage area within the first perspective ofthe vehicle; and wherein, responsive to identifying the specific type ofdamage in the damage area, the instructions cuing the user to adjust themobile device in order to obtain an image of the damage area.
 25. Amethod comprising: determining to obtain a first image and a secondimage, from a camera of a mobile device, for a first perspective and asecond perspective, respectively, of a vehicle; responsive todetermining to obtain the first image for the first perspective and thesecond image for the second perspective of the vehicle: generating, on adisplay of the mobile device, an output configured to cue a user whilethe user is walking around the vehicle in order to obtain the firstimage for the first perspective of the vehicle; determining, based on afirst vehicle feature stored in a memory of the mobile device, whetherat least a part of the vehicle in an image generated by the camera isaligned with the first perspective of the vehicle; responsive toobtaining the first image of the first perspective of the vehicle,cuing, via the display, the user that the first image of the firstperspective of the vehicle is obtained; after obtaining the first imageof the first perspective of the vehicle and responsive to a first actionperformed at the mobile device, the first action indicative ofidentifying damage in a subpart of the first perspective of the vehicle,cuing the user for input regarding the damage in the subpart of thefirst perspective of the vehicle; responsive to cuing the user for inputregarding damage in the subpart of the first perspective of the vehicle,receiving input, via the mobile device, from the user regarding thedamage in the subpart of the first perspective of the vehicle;determining, based on a second vehicle feature stored in the memory ofthe mobile device, whether at least a part of the vehicle in an imagegenerated by the camera is aligned with the second perspective of thevehicle; responsive to obtaining the second image of the secondperspective of the vehicle, cuing, via the display, the user that thesecond image of the second perspective of the vehicle is obtained; afterobtaining the second image of the second perspective of the vehicle andresponsive to a second action performed at the mobile device, the secondaction indicative of identifying damage in a subpart of the secondperspective of the vehicle, cuing the user for input regarding thedamage in the subpart of the second perspective of the vehicle; andresponsive to cuing the user for input regarding damage in the subpartof the second perspective of the vehicle, receiving input from the userregarding the damage in the subpart of the second perspective of thevehicle.
 26. The method of claim 25, whererin the first action isindicative of identifying a location of the damage for the firstperspective of the vehicle.
 27. The method of claim 25, wherein thefirst action comprises an automatic analysis by the mobile device. 28.The method of claim 27, wherein the automatic analysis is of the firstimage of the first perspective of the vehicle; wherein automaticallyanalyzing the first image of the first perspective of the vehicle is foridentifying a specific type of damage; and wherein, responsive toidentifying the specific type of damage, cuing the user in order toobtain additional information regarding the specific type of damageidentified in the first image of the first perspective of the vehicle.29. The method of claim 28, wherein automatically analyzing the firstimage of the first perspective of the vehicle identifies the specifictype of damage in a damage area within the first perspective of thevehicle; and wherein, responsive to identifying the specific type ofdamage in the damage area, cuing the user to adjust the mobile device inorder to obtain an image of the damage area.
 30. The method of claim 29,wherein cuing the user to adjust the mobile device in order to obtainthe image of the damage area includes cuing the user to move closer tothe vehicle.